After a restful Christmas and New Year period with our families, the City year has restarted again in earnest.

This week, the Clerk and I had the honour of being invited to the Epiphany Court luncheon of the Worshipful Company of Masons. We were made most welcome at this select luncheon attended by about 30 members of the Company and guests in the wonderful surroundings of Mercers’ Hall. Excellent food, wine and company! I had the good fortune to be seated next to our own Liveryman, Dr Christine Ridgen, Past Master Mason, Past Master Constructor, Ale-conner and former Sheriff. The Master, Mr Alistair Wood LVO MBE (seen in the photograph through the glass darkly) gave a stimulating address on the charitable and educational activities of the Company. The guest of honour Lt Col Giles Stibbe OBE, Director of Trustees of the Household Cavalry Foundation (standing), spoke passionately about this charity’s activities, caring for soldiers, casualties, veterans, horses and heritage of the British Army’s most senior regiments.

Later that day, I was delighted to join representatives of over 70 livery Companies as guests of the Master and Wardens of the Worshipful Company of Plaisterers at their Masters’ and Clerks’ dinner, held at Plaisterers’ Hall, in the largest livery hall in the City of London. The Master, Mr Stephen Gilbert, welcomed the huge number of guests (over 200 members and guests were present) and gave a fascinating insight into the work of the Company, and the vagaries of sharing an apartment on London Wall with the Clerk. The guest of honour, Mr Harry Parshal, Master of the Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors, spoke amusingly on his Company’s well-known friendly rivalry with the Worshipful Company of Skinners which leaves them “at sixes and sevens”. Colonel Garth Manger OBE RM, the Clerk to the Worshipful Company of Plaisterers, also spoke highlighting the role of the many Livery company clerks in the City, and his own view of cohabitation with the Master! A splendid occasion in a quite remarkable setting, and as you can see the spectacular plasterwork was rather theatrically highlighted in bright red!